Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography – Staff
JANE RUSSELL Staff 1920s(?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TAGS: Jane Russell, staff, Elizabeth G. Smith, Line Fork Settlement, Coyle Branch School, application for PMSS employment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Katherine Pettit, sociology, Converse College<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jane Russell had an excellent source of information about working for Pine Mountain Settlement School (PMSS) in Elizabeth G. Smith<\/a>. From 1924 to 1927, Miss Smith served as an industrial worker at Line Fork Settlement<\/a> in Gilley, Kentucky, a satellite center that was overseen by the School. It was a jack-of-all-trades job that included part-time cook, housekeeper, recreation specialist, and work-training specialist. She came to the settlement after teaching for two years at the nearby Coil [Coyle] Branch School for a year. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing of Jane Russell\u2019s interest in a teaching career, Miss Smith urged to apply to PMSS. At the time of Jane\u2019s application to PMSS, dated September 18, 1926, she was studying for a master\u2019s degree in Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill<\/a>. In her letter to Katherine Pettit<\/a>, PMSS co-director, she included her friend, Nancy Singleton, as one also interested in employment at PMSS. They originally received their Bachelor of Science degrees at Converse College<\/a> in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and it is possible that is where they knew Elizabeth Smith, who lived and studied in South Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jane wrote that, at age 22, her only work experience consisted of ten weeks of community work in North Carolina mountains and two years teaching in the local community. Miss Pettit responded with a warning: \u201cWe usually do not take inexperienced teachers at Pine Mountain. We like them to come to us after having worked somewhere else first.” <\/em>[Pettit suggests that they come to PMSS] next summer as volunteer workers, just as Miss Elizabeth Smith did.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, Miss Pettit proposed that they do volunteer summer work in order to become acquainted with the School. This was not possible, according to Jane, since both she and Miss Singleton preferred to <\/span>\u201cwork in the winter and study in the summer.\u201d <\/span><\/i>Jane explained that she was<\/span> \u201cabsolutely dependent on myself so have to do something that will yield some income. \u2026 I would come from interest and love of the work alone if it were possible.” <\/span><\/i>She assured Miss Pettit that<\/span> “we don\u2019t mind good hard work, hardships or inconveniences. \u2026 <\/span><\/i>[W]<\/span>e will truly work hard and appear old and experienced school-marms!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n In any case, Miss Pettit wasn\u2019t convinced and advised that Jane re-apply in a few years. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Miss Jane Russell\u2019s file of letters of September 1 through 28, 1926, end at this point. A search continues in the PMSS Collections for records or correspondence that indicate whether she or Nancy had actually been hired by the School. If such confirmation is found, this page will be updated<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See Also JANE RUSSELL Correspondence 1926<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Title<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Jane Russell<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Alt. Title<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Miss Russell\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Identifier<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n JANE RUSSELL Staff<\/a><\/blockquote>